The present invention relates to electronic devices for data communication and, more particularly, to a data and message retrieval communication system including a remote receive-only communication unit capable of receiving and processing RF signals and capable of receiving, storing and displaying electronic messages and personal data.
The number of ways to transmit messages from one person to another is expanding rapidly. A person may be contacted by means of a telephone, e-mail, voice mail, facsimile, cellular (radio) and pager, to name a few of the more common methods. Other methods of communication are under development, and the number of ways that a person may be contacted will only increase in the future. Not only is it now easier to send messages, it is also easier to send longer messages containing text and other information as memory capacity is increased while reducing component size and the cost of data transmission.
As a result of this communications explosion, people are receiving more messages and more information than ever before. It is imperative to organize and deal with the information as it is received: e-mail messages must be read, voice mail messages must be listened to and responded to, and schedules must be maintained. At the same time, more people are working away from their offices and away from their office support systems. Telecommuting is becoming a popular option for workers in crowded cities and many businesses are closing branch offices and requiring their sales persons to work from home or on the road.
There is an acute need for today's businesspeople to have access to tools and accessories that help them receive and keep track of information and messages received while they are away from the office. The tools must be capable of receiving and organizing information and conveniently providing the information to the user on demand and in a format appropriate to the message. Moreover, the tools must be dynamic and flexible, allowing the user to easily reconfigure them as needs change.
In addition, some users require the ability to retrieve messages at any time under any conditions. For example, construction managers, architects and field engineers may need to receive or review messages outdoors during rain or other adverse weather conditions under which it would be undesirable to use a personal computer or radiotelephone. Moreover, some users have a need to keep certain information available at all times, regardless of their location.
Existing technology includes radio pagers and watches having storage capabilities. Although some pagers have the capability to receive digital and/or text messages, they typically may only be used with a central paging network and may not be reconfigured by the user. Moreover, conventional pagers cannot be used to store messages such as SMS messages and voice mail. (SMS messages are text messages received by a cellular telephone in a GSM system. Appropriately equipped cellular telephones can receive and display SMS messages.) A wristwatch is an ideal device to store important information since wristwatches are worn continuously and may be made shock and water resistant. Some existing wristwatches include personal information management functions that store phone numbers, dates and other information. These devices, however, are typically programmed by holding them in close proximity to a computer monitor while the monitor displays a bar code pattern, which is unacceptable for many users, since it means that they must be near a computer to program their watches. The user must also take the time to program the watch, rather than having the computer update the watch's memory automatically. Also, such watches are typically not equipped to receive, store and display other types of messages such as text, SMS and voice mail.